Shielding tape advice needed

[Dad3353]

9 minutes ago, nikon F said:

the slug tape i used from homebase did,,

 

Does that mean that you don't hear your slugs humming any more..? 

[SamIAm]

3 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Does that mean that you don't hear your slugs humming any more..? 

Isn’t ‘I hear the slugs a hummin’ an old JC tune?  

[Mykesbass]

6 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Does that mean that you don't hear your slugs humming any more..? 

 

[rmorris]

Aluminium (cooking) foil is effective and easily available. But needs "special" solder so usually need to make sure it overlaps and had a good mechanical interface to other pieces / metal work.

It can be worth getting the thicker "turkey" foil that I'd sold esp around Christmas time.

 

[KingBollock]

I, personally, use aluminium tape. Mainly because it’s what I have knocking about. Seems to work just as well as copper. I have done one guitar in copper, the rest aluminium.

 

This information is probably useless, though, because it’s not going to be any easier to get than copper tape.

[Paul S]

7 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Does that mean that you don't hear your slugs humming any more..? 

 

If you write the words on it, yes.

[rmorris]

24 minutes ago, KingBollock said:

I, personally, use aluminium tape. Mainly because it’s what I have knocking about. Seems to work just as well as copper. I have done one guitar in copper, the rest aluminium.

 

This information is probably useless, though, because it’s not going to be any easier to get than copper tape.

Cheaper though.

The conductive paints also work. But not so well ime. Talking about rfi general btw and not only guitar / bass related.

[neepheid]

9 hours ago, nikon F said:

the slug tape i used from homebase did,,

 

Yes, I got some of this from B&Q and it conducts just fine.  I tested it with a multimeter.

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by neepheid

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, neepheid said:

 

Yes, I got some of this from B&Q and it conducts just fine.  I tested it with a multimeter.

 

Pretty sure I got mine there too and my Mustang is now silent.

[pfretrock]

16 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Yes, of course, but it's worth it for the Earl Grey alone, with biscuits the cherry on the cake (just an expression of course; I don't have cake on hand...). Still, given 15 hours notice, I could bake one. Hmm, where's my egg whisk and flour..? 

Throw in some Roquefort and I'll join in and bring scissors to cut the tape.

[paddy109]

Word of warning the copper tape is very sharp (imagine a paper cut x infinity). 🤬

[Ed_S]

3 hours ago, paddy109 said:

Word of warning the copper tape is very sharp (imagine a paper cut x infinity). 🤬

 

I use aluminium tape and it's the same deal, but I've found that wearing a disposable cotton glove (like the ones antiques assessors use) on the hand that I primarily use for pressing down the tape makes the job a lot less painful all round.

[Count Bassy]

Even when the adhesive is conductive I tend run a bit of solder along the joints.

Aluminium works as long as you can ensure a good earth connection to it, and between sections. The disadvantage is that it oxidises with a non conductive layer, and, whether oxidised or not, it's difficult to solder.

[Dad3353]

One often overlooks the distinct advantage of using kitchen foil aluminium, in that it keeps sharks at bay. I offer as proof having a roll of the stuff in our kitchen, and we have no sharks there. 

[DTB]

9 hours ago, Count Bassy said:

Even when the adhesive is conductive I tend run a bit of solder along the joints.

Aluminium works as long as you can ensure a good earth connection to it, and between sections. The disadvantage is that it oxidises with a non conductive layer, and, whether oxidised or not, it's difficult to solder.

I had to earth the neck on a guitar before. It picked up terrible static from the shiny neck finish. As a last ditch attempt to fix it I took the neck off and lined the pocket with foil so that the neck bolts pierced the foil when I replaced it. Then soldered an earth wire to the foil and connected it to the earth on volume pot. It worked. No more static. 
something in the finish was obviously conductive, once it was grounded via the neck plate and screws and foil it was sorted. 

[Paul S]

9 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

One often overlooks the distinct advantage of using kitchen foil aluminium, in that it keeps sharks at bay. I offer as proof having a roll of the stuff in our kitchen, and we have no sharks there. 

 

Which is a shame, as trhe sharks ate the slugs, hence the need fror copper tape.

[rmorris]

1 hour ago, DTB said:

I had to earth the neck on a guitar before. It picked up terrible static from the shiny neck finish. As a last ditch attempt to fix it I took the neck off and lined the pocket with foil so that the neck bolts pierced the foil when I replaced it. Then soldered an earth wire to the foil and connected it to the earth on volume pot. It worked. No more static. 
something in the finish was obviously conductive, once it was grounded via the neck plate and screws and foil it was sorted. 

 

Not necessarily "conductive". You can produce static charge with non-conducting surfaces. Think rubbing a balloon on your jumper to get it "charged" then "sticking" it to a wall.

Same thing happens with scratchplates and screws etc. In your case it seems that the grounded neck plate and screws provide a guarding effect that attenuates the noise energy and avoids it causing a problem in the pickup / wiring.

Nice work 🙂

[pfretrock]

15 hours ago, Ed_S said:

 

I use aluminium tape and it's the same deal, but I've found that wearing a disposable cotton glove (like the ones antiques assessors use) on the hand that I primarily use for pressing down the tape makes the job a lot less painful all round.

 

Before you go crazy trying to get the backing paper off copper or Ali tape, hold tape between finger and thumb with a corner sticking out then flick corner back and forward with finger nail. The backing at the corner will soon release.

 

It is all in the fingers, slap will not work.

 

And aluminium does not solder, so don't try. Never had a conductivity problem with overlapped tape. And avoid that black conductive paint, you see it on some guitars, presumably it is cheaper and quicker than tape but if you get it on the body it's hard to remove.

[pfretrock]

11 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

One often overlooks the distinct advantage of using kitchen foil aluminium, in that it keeps sharks at bay. I offer as proof having a roll of the stuff in our kitchen, and we have no sharks there. 

Also useful for lining hats and underpants in case of nuclear attack.

[DTB]

1 minute ago, pfretrock said:

Also useful for lining hats and underpants in case of nuclear attack.

If it’s in short supply then no need to line one’s entire under garment, a simple pocket around the dangly bits would be sufficient. 

[Paul S]

Maybe, for a better fit, one of those foil roasting bags.  Especially appropriate for your meat and two veg.  I wonder if they do one for a chipolata and a couple of sprouts?

[rmorris]

1 hour ago, DTB said:

If it’s in short supply then no need to line one’s entire under garment, a simple pocket around the dangly bits would be sufficient. 

Don't forget the "Ground" wire 😳

[Geek99]

On 04/02/2023 at 20:10, meterman said:

I don’t have a multimeter or know anyone near me who has one.

 

The strip of tape / copper wire thing makes zero sense to me, but then admittedly I do have learning difficulties! 
 

Never had to do this before and I haven’t managed to find a YT tutorial that I can actually make sense of. I only want to do this once, properly, and not balls it up like I usually do with anything maintenance related 😂

He means get a long thin strip and turns the ends over so copper, not glue, meets copper, and any potential areas of poor conductivity are removed 

[pfretrock]

2 hours ago, Geek99 said:

He means get a long thin strip and turns the ends over so copper, not glue, meets copper, and any potential areas of poor conductivity are removed 

The electrical version for electro magnetic shielding has conductive adhesive. I would not think the gardening people have the tape made for them, they just source the mass produced electrical variety.

[rmorris]

33 minutes ago, pfretrock said:

The electrical version for electro magnetic shielding has conductive adhesive. I would not think the gardening people have the tape made for them, they just source the mass produced electrical variety.

 

You do need to check. There is copper tape available where it is adhesive but where the adhesive is not specified to be conductive. I know this from an EMC lab that I've used and friends with the owner/consultant. Some clients turn up thinking they have their kit properly shielded with copper tape. Only to find out they have the non conductive adhesive type.